Xcel Energy wind farm online Collaboration improves access to sign language and interpreting degrees

Xcel Energy’s 200-megawatt Courtenay Wind Farm north of Jamestown, North Dakota, is fully operational and producing enough energy to power 100,000 homes, the power provider says. The farm includes 100 wind turbines on 25,000 acres, in cooperation with 60 landowners.

Geronimo Energy initiated development of the Courtenay Wind Farm in 2008. In 2013, Xcel Energy entered into a long-term power purchase agreement with Geronimo Energy, and became the owner of the project in 2015. Wanzek Construction of Fargo began work on the wind farm in 2015. Courtenay Wind Farm went online the first week of December.

“Investing in wind energy builds on our industry-leading carbon reductions and it also delivers what our customers and communities are seeking — cleaner, more renewable energy at an affordable price,” says Matthew Lindstrom, media relations representative for Xcel Energy. “We believe our wind portfolio can save significant dollars in energy costs for our customers over the next 20 years. We are adding 1,500 megawatts of wind energy in the Upper Midwest so we can take 100 percent of the federal production tax credits available now and pass the savings on to customers.”

In October, Xcel Energy proposed building four more wind farms in the Upper Midwest. Border Winds Farm in North Dakota’s Rolette County was added to Xcel Energy’s wind energy fleet at the end of 2015, producing 150 megawatts.

The $300 million Courtenay Wind Farm was self-funded, Lindstrom says. The project is expected to generate $850,000 annually in local tax revenues and a total of $26.5 million for the landowners in the next 20 years.

Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota, Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, North Dakota, and the North Dakota School for the Deaf/Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Devils Lake are collaborating on 2 + 2. The program will allow students to complete an Associate of Applied Science degree inAmerican Sign Language and Interpreting Studies with LRSC, then transfer to Minot State University to complete the Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Interpreting and Sign Language Skills.

A grant from the Bush Foundation and a match from the Higher Ed Challenge Fund will assist in development of the program. Students can take the entire program from either campus or remotely through interactive, live video. North Dakota School for the Deaf/Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing will support MSU and LRSC through consultation and practical opportunities.

“There is a national shortage of qualified ASL interpreters,” says Holly Pedersen, MSU Department of Special Education chair, in a statement. “Our program allows greater flexibility for students to continue their education in the field of interpreting because they can access high-quality instruction from rural or remote areas.”